Collapsible display basket



Oct. 19, 1943. H. POLAY COLLAPSIBLE DISPLAY BASKET Filed Jan. 28, 1942 2Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENT OR.

WITNESS.

Oct. 19, 1943. H. POLAY COLLAPSIBLE DISPLAY BASKET Filed Jan. 28, 1942 2Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR BY y ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 19, 1943 COLLAPSIBLE DISPLAY BASKET Harvey Polay,Manhattan Beach, N. Y., assignor to Badger Cutouts, Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application January 28, 1942, SerialNo.428,519

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in display containers. and morespecifically to a collapsible display basket in which small articles ofmerchandise may be conspicuously displayed upon the counter of a store.

Some of the important features .of the invention reside in a collapsiblecardboard display basket which is collapsible to a flat condition tofacilitate compact storage and shipment of the same; which is easy toset up for use by a storekeeper; which is strong when set up toWithstand breakage caused by stress to which the .basketis subjectedwhen in use; and which is constructed of avminimum amount of stock, thuseliminating waste stock which makes the basket inexpensive ofmanufacture compared to other collapsible display baskets heretoforeproduced.

Another feature of the invention is to provide a collapsible displaybasket in which the same is secured in set up position by hook membersfolded from side wall flaps formed integral with the bottom wall of thebasket, the hook members interlocking with the walls of'slots providedin opposed corners of the side walls, the said side wall flaps acting toclose the open space between the side walls and the bottom wall and toreinforce the side walls against outward stresses applied thereto byarticles of merchandise when placed in the basket for display purposes.

Other features of the invention will become apparent as the followingspecification is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the collapsible display" basket in setup position for use.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1. I

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional'view on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail horizontal sectionalview on the line 4-4of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a detail vertical sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure4. g

Figure 6'is a detail outside perspective View illustrating theinterlocking connection between the bottom and sidewall structures.

Figure 'l is a perspective view of the display basket in collapsedposition.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the main blank from -.which the basket isconstructed.

Figure 9 is a plan view of the blank from which the front wall isconstructed.

' (Figure 9) structed of a. main blank of cardboard A (Figure 8) andasupplementary blank of cardboard B Whereas the blanks A and B areseparate for economy in manufacture due to a minimum of waste stock incutting the blanks, the

blanks A and B may be of one integral piece if so desired as will bappreciated hereinafter. Also, while the material fromwhich the basketis constructed is referred to as cardboard, the same may be made ofheavy paper stock, corrugated ,board, or other. materialshaving likecharacteristics.

The blank A includes'a hexagonal bottom wall panel H, the front edge 12being an edge of the blank. The other fiveedges of the bottom wall panelll have portions of the blank integral therewith. Frontside wall flapsl3l3 are at- .tached to the bottom wall panel H along hinge scores14-14, the inner end edges of the flaps being at right angle to therespective hinge scores I i-l4. Rear side wall flaps [5-15 similar tothe flaps l3-l3 are connected to the rear side edges of the bottom Wallpanel along hinge scores [6-46. The rear side edgeof the bottom wallpanel l I has a rear wall panel l'l connected thereto along a hingescore l8 which is parallel to the free front edge I2.

The adjacent inner ends of the pairs of flaps l3 and I5 define a -V andsaid ends are connected within-the V by a substantially V'shaped web 19,

the same being scored at their joinder with the flaps on the score lines2ll-20. The mid portion of the web 19 is scored-transversely on the line21 to divide the web into two like sections fold- Referring tothedrawings by reference characters, the numeral l0 designates thecollapsible display basket in its entirety,'and which-is conabl uponthemselves when the blank is folded to provide a downturned hooklockingtongue T as clearly illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. The web I9 iscutso that'thebill portion of the tongue extends in spaced relation tothe adjacent inner end edges of thefia'ps l3 and i5. The flaps I3 and i5extend'the fulllength of the respective side edges of the bottom wallpanel H but their free outer or top edges are shortened at the outerends and the flaps provide the desired reinforcement as Will beappreciated hereafter.

I Integral with the ends of the rear wall H are rear side wall panels22-2Z,- the said rear side wall panels being connectedto the rear wallpanel along hinge scores 23- -23, the inner ends of which meet at thecorners of the scores l5-l t and IS. The rear side wallpanels are of alength equal tothe rear'side edges of the bottom wall panel defined bythe hinge scores lt- -lii, and integral with and connected to thefrontends of the rear side wall panels 22-22 along hinge scores 24-24 areattaching flaps -25. The rear side wall panels 22-22 are slit as at25-28 adjacent the flaps 25-25, the ends of said slits meeting the scorelines 24-24 so that the portions of the panels 22-22 defined by theslits and fold lines 24-24 will fold with the flaps 25-25 when the blankis folded so as to provide slots S-S for. receiving the respectivelocking tongues T-T. The slits 26-26 converge downwardly to providewedge or cam edges 21 for the tongues T as they are inserted into therespective slots S. A display panel 28 is integral with and extendsupwardly from the rear Well i! and if desired, the display panel may bewider than that shown to extend upwardly from the rear side wall panels22-22. Advertising indicia may be printed upon the front side of thedisplay panel and which would be significant to the particular articlesof merchandise to be displayed in the basket l0.

The bottom wall I6 is provided with a medial I hinge score 2.) which isparallel to the score I53 and free edge l2 to divide the bottom wail,into two identical bottom wall sections Ilia and It?) and which sectionsfold inwardly upon them" selves when the basket is collapsed and whichassume a common plane when the basket is in set up position for use.

The supplementary blank B is substantially rectangular and elongated inplan and of a length slightly greater than the combined widths of threeside edges of the hexagonal shaped bottom wall it. The blank B isprovided with two spaced vertica1 hinge scores 30-30 respectivelydisposed equal distances from the vertical center of the blank and whichdivides the blank into an intermediate front wall panel 3| of a widthequal to the length of the edge l2 of the bottom wall, and front sidewall panels 322-32 which are slightly longer than the sides of thebottom wall defined by the hinge scores 14-14. An attaching flap isintegral with the lower edge of the front wall panel 3| along a hingescore The attaching flap 34 extends substantially the width of the frontwall panel 3|.

To assemble and connect the two blank secticns A and B to form thebasket ID, the blank 23-23 to a position against the rear side wall,

flaps l5-l5, after which the attaching flaps 25-25 are folded outwardlyto a position at substantially right angle to the panels 22-22 whichcauses the cut outs formed by the slits 25-28 to pop out and assume thesame plane as the flaps 25-25 but which extend inwardly. The blank isnow folded inwardly on the hinge scores Eli-3G, and the flap 34 isfolded inwardly on the hinge score 33 to a position at right angle tothe front wall panel 3!. The folded blank B is fitted to the open frontside of the folded blank A with the flap 34 underlying the front of thebottom wall section [9a and with the front wall panel alined with thefree edge I2 thereof. Metal stitches or staples 35' pass through theflap 34 and bottom wall section [6a, but if found expedient, the flap 34may be adhesively secured to the underside of the bottom wall section.The front side wall panels 32-32 fit against therespective up-folde'dflaps l3-l3 and being wider than the length of the front side edges ofthe bottom wall defined by the hinge scores I l-I4, the free ends of thepanels 32-32 lap the outwardly folded attaching flaps 25-25 and aresecured thereto by metal stitching or staples 36, although the parts maybe adhesively or otherwise secured if so desired. The blanks A and Bhave now been folded and secured and when in the position just describedand as illustrated in Figures 1 to 6, the basket is in open position andis secured in such position by inserting the hook tongues T-T in therespective opposed slots S-S whereupon the side and bottom wallstructures are held against movement to collapsed position. However, tocollapse the set up basket I0, the operator first grasps the two innercorners of the adjacent pairs of flaps l3-l5 and pulls upwardly thereon,thus causing the tongues T-T to be disengaged from the slots S,whereupon, the bottom wall sections l6a and liib fold upwardly on thehinge scores 23 and I3 and upon themselves on the hinge score 29. Afterthe initial manipulation just described, the side wall structureconsisting of the side wall panels 3| and 32-32 have been folded towardthe corresponding side wall panels 22-22 and Il, whereupon, the basketassumes a substantially flat collapsed appearance as shown in Figure 7,and at which time the flaps I3-l3 fold flat against the bottom wallsection 16a and the flaps l5-l 5 likewise fold fiat against the bottomwall section itb.

Te set up the basket from its collapsed position, the operator may graspthe free ends of the front side wall panels 32-32 and the flaps 25-25 towhich they are secured and push inwardly thereon. which causes the sidewall structure to open up and the bottom wall sections Illa and Nib tounfold and move downwardly. This causes the hook tongues T-T to enterthe slots but should the tongues not freely enter the slots, theoperator may-impart a slight downward pressure upon the meeting topcorners of the flaps Iii-l5, whereupon the tongues will wedgingly engagethe wedge edges 2'! of the said slots and be securely held againstaccidental disengagement. The stitched ends of the front side wallpanels 32-32 act to conceal the outwardly extending ends of the tonguesT-T when the basket is viewed from the front.

While I have shown and described a collapsible basket Ill in which theside walls are vertical, I wish it to be understood that theinventionset forth herein may be embodied in a collapsible basket inwhich the side walls are upwardly and outwardly inclined and which shapeis common in display baskets heretofore produced. Such shape basket maybe constructed by cutting and scoring the side walls at angles otherthan right angles. Also, the basket l0 may be constructed from a singleblank of cardboard material, wherein the bottom edge of the front wallpanel would be integral-with the edge E2 of the bottom wall andconnected thereto along a hinge score equivalent to the hinge score 33.Further modifications in structure and design as come within the scopeof the appended claims may be resorted to if desired without departingfrom the spirit of the invention herein shown and described. 7

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

l. A collapsible cardboard display basket comprising a hexagonal bottomwall, a hexagonal side wall structure consisting of pairs of opposedarticulated side walls, two opposed edges of the bottom wall beinghingedly connected to a pair of opposed side walls, upwardly extendingpairs of flaps hinged to the other edges of the bottom wall along thewidth thereof to close the joints between the said edges and adjacentcomplementary side walls, hook tongues provided at and integral with themeeting ends of the respective pairs of flaps, slots provided inadjacent side walls through which said tongues extend and lockinglyengage, and-a medial hinge score provided in said bottom wall extendingfrom the meeting corners of one pair of flaps to the meeting corners ofthe other pair of flaps to facilitate the inward folding of the bottomwall and flattening of the side wall structure when the to provide acontinuous collapsible side wall structure, a one-piece bottom wallhingedly connected to a pair of opposed side walls, a medial hinge scoreextending across said bottom wall and being parallel to the pivotal axesof the hinge connections between said bottom and opposed side walls anddividing the bottom wall into two like upwardly foldable bottom wallsections, upwardly extending flaps hingedly connected to the other sidesof the bottom wall, hook tongues integral with adjacent meeting ends ofsaid flaps and projecting therefrom, and slots provided in adjacent sidewalls for interlockingly receiving said tongues.

4. A collapsible cardboard display container I comprising a plurality ofpairs of opposed side tongues are disengaged fromlthe slotsto effect afiat compact collapsing of the display basket.

2. A collapsible cardboard display basket comprising a collapsible sidewall structure composed of six side walls articulated together, ahexagonal bottom wall having two of its side edges hingedly connected totwo opposed side walls, upwardly extending flaps respectively hingedlyconnected to the other side edges of the bottom wall and defining pairsof adjacent flaps for respectively reinforcing those side walls nothinged to the bottom wall, a folded hook tongue integral with theadjacent ends of each pair of flaps, a slot provided in the side wallstructure adjacent each hook tongue to receive and interlock with thesame, and a medial hinge score extending across the bottom wall parallelto the axis of the pivotal movement of the hinge connections between thebottom wall and the two opposed side walls.

3. A collapsible cardboard display container comprising a plurality ofpairs of opposed side walls hingedly connected together at their endsWalls hingedly connected together at their ends .to provide a continuouscollapsible side wall structure, a bottom wall having opposed sidesconforming to the number of side walls and be" ing hingedly connected toa pair of opposed side walls, a medial hinge score extending across saidbottom wall from opposed pairs of meeting corner edges thereof and beingparallel to the pivotal axes of the hinge connections between saidbottom wall and opposed side walls and dividing,

the bottom wall into two like upwardly foldable bottom wall sections,pairs of adjacent upwardly extending flaps hingedly connected to theother sides of the bottom wall, a normally V-shaped web connecting theadjacent meeting ends of the pairs of flaps, said web being transverselyscored at its mid portion and folded thereon upon itself to provide ahook tongue projecting from the meeting ends of the flaps, those sidewalls adjacent the meeting ends of said flaps having slots therein forinterlockingly receiving the respective tongues.

HARVEY PoLAY.

